The Sumerians
Fall 2011
Instructor:
Office:
Office hours:
Contact Info:
Homepage:
Dr. Timothy Matney
Olin 241
MWF, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
972-6892, [email protected]
http://gozips.uakron.edu/~matney
Class Meetings:
Classroom:
Course No.:
11:00am – 11:50am
Kolbe 204
3240:110—001
Course Description
Sumerian civilization was humanity’s earliest literate, urban society. Flourishing in the floodplains of the
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers starting in the fourth millennium BC, the Sumerians formed the basis of
ancient Near Eastern society for the next 4000 years. This course explores the emergence and spread of
Sumerian art, literature, religion, and other aspects of civilization, and the impact this society had on its
neighbors and successors. Topics include: the European re-discovery of Sumerian civilization, Sumerian
art, religion, politics, and economic developments, and the role of archaeology in interpreting the past.
Students will gain a general familiarity with the nature of archaeological evidence and with the specific
material culture associated with the ancient Sumerians.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students should strive to:
(1) develop knowledge of fundamental archaeological concepts and principles;
(2) develop a general knowledge of Sumerian material culture and written texts;
(3) understand the long-term impact this particular culture had on the subsequent development of
Western civilization.
Required Textbook
There are no required textbooks for this class. Prof. Matney will provide all the course readings.
Notes on Registration, Enrollment & Dropping Classes
Students who do not appear on the University’s official class roster by Friday of the second week of the
semester will not be permitted to participate (attend class, take exams or receive credit). This is official
University policy.
Disabilities Accommodation
If you require accommodation you should contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at
972-7928, as well as make arrangements with me during the first week of the semester.
Requirements & Grading
Your course grade is based on a 200 point scale. The following point scale is used to determine your grade.
A
AB+
B
BC+
186-200 points
180-185 points
174-179 points
166-173 points
160-165 points
154-159 points
C
CD+
D
F
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146-153 points
140-145 points
134-139 points
120-133 points
119 & fewer points
Your grade in this course is determined by four take-home quizzes, each worth 25 points for a total of 100
points and a comprehensive final exam worth 100 points. The quizzes will be passed out to the class on
the meeting before they are due and will be collected at the beginning of the following class period. You
may use your notes and textbooks on the quizzes but each student is expected to turn in his/her own
work. Late work cannot be accepted.
Class participation
Class participation can add or subtract from your final grade outside of the point system. For students who
consistently make positive contributions to class discussion and who come to class well prepared, I may
raise their grade by a half-grade (e.g., from a B to a B+). Likewise, students who are disruptive in class, are
poorly prepared for discussions, or have an excessive number of absences will have their grade reduced
by a half-grade (e.g., from a C to a C-). These adjustments are made at the discretion of the instructor.
Attendance policy
Attendance in class is fundamental to good performance. I do not take formal attendance in class, but as
you will be expected to know the material covered in class meetings and discussions, not just what is in
the textbook, it make sense to come to class regularly. If you miss class, you are responsible for getting
notes from other students and for tracking changes in the course syllabus.
Late work policy
Late work is not accepted. An excused absence is given only if you can present me with an appropriate
written excuse from your doctor for emergency purposes. In other words, please do not schedule to have
your teeth cleaned during my class hours, but if you or your children are sick enough to require
emergency medical treatment, you will not be penalized for missed quizzes or exams. Please talk to me at
least two weeks in advance to arrange for any other type of excused absence. There are no exceptions to
this rule, so please do not ask.
Respecting the Classroom Environment
Disruptions during class time will not be tolerated. These behaviors detract from the learning environment
in the classroom and are rude to your fellow students and instructor. There will be absolutely NO mobile
phone use in the class. This means no phone calls and no text messaging. Personal correspondence should
be conducted on your own time. If I see you using a mobile phone, including for text messaging, you will
be asked to leave the classroom for the day. You will not be permitted to make up any work missed as a
result. I understand that mobile phones are useful in emergency situations, so please make specific
arrangements with me beforehand if you need to keep you cell phone on vibrate for emergency purposes.
Likewise, there will be no laptop computer use in the classroom. Laptop use for notetaking only will be
allowed for those students with a medical need and you will need to arrange this with me beforehand.
While using a laptop computer has the potential for enhancing student notetaking, most students in my
experience use it to surf the internet, email friends, or work on non-course related materials during class.
If you have tasks other than archaeology that you would rather be working on, please have the courtesy
to the other students and me to do so outside of the classroom.
Any repeat offenders of these policies will be referred both to the Department Chair and the appropriate
Dean within the College of Arts and Sciences for disciplinary actions.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged borrowing of information, wording, organization, or ideas from another
person. Whether the original source is public (e.g., a newspaper, book, journal article or a webpage) or
private (e.g., a classmate's paper), you need to indicate your indebtedness to it. Where you repeat the
exact language of your source, you must treat the borrowed material as a quotation and place it within
quotation marks. By merely changing a few words or the word order or by paraphrasing, you do not avoid
plagiarism. In all cases, you should cite your source. There is nothing wrong in acknowledging an
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intellectual debt to someone. (adapted from a handout by the Department of English at Trenton State
College).
In this course, the penalty for plagiarism on an assignment is a grade of zero for that assignment. More
extensive plagiarism will result in a course grade of "F" and the filing of charges of Academic Misconduct.
For further information on the University’s policies, see the “Academic Dishonesty” section in the
Undergraduate Bulletin.
Changes to the Syllabus
I will make every effort to cover all the material listed below, but I reserve the right to make changes, as
necessary, to this syllabus at any time. Students are responsible for any changes in the syllabus that are
announced in class.
Week 1 (Sept 26 – 30)
Topics:
Course introduction and expectations
Geography of ancient Sumer
Historic timeline
Reading:
Roux (1980) “The Early Dynastic Period” (pp. 122-139)
Week 2 (Oct 3 – 7)
Topics:
The origins of writing
Beyond Gilgamesh: the literature of Sumer
Sumerian city-states: urbanization and the “Mesopotamian advantage”
Reading:
Kramer (1963) “Literature: The Sumerian Belles-Lettres” (pp. 165-228)
Week 3 (Oct 10 – 14)
Topics:
The Royal Tombs of Ur and Sumerian kingship
Agriculture and economy
Sumerian religion and the role of the temple
Reading:
Crawford (2004) “Town Planning and Temple Architecture” (pp. 60-88)
Week 4 (Oct 17 – 21)
Topics:
Foreign trade and tribute
Technology and craft production
Modern archaeology: excavations at Titriş Höyük, an Early Bronze Age mercantile city
Reading:
Reade (2003) “The Royal Tombs of Ur” (pp. 93-132)
Week 5 (Oct 24 – 28)
Topics:
Sumerian warfare: Umma and Lagash
The legacy of ancient Sumer
Final exam, in class on Friday, October 28
Reading:
Postgate (1994) “War and Peace” (pp. 241-259)
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References
Crawford, Harriet
2004
Sumer and the Sumerians. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Second edition.
Kramer, Samuel Noah
1963
The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: The University of Chicago
Press.
Postgate, J. Nicholas
1994
Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History. London: Routledge.
Reade, Julian
2003
Roux, Georges
1980
“The Royal Tombs of Ur” In, J. Aruz, editor, Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium
BC from the Mediterranean to the Indus. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
(pp. 93-123)
Ancient Iraq. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. Second edition.
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